Need Gluten Free Diet Help

[of2dbeach]

Hi I am in need of help / web sites for Gluten Free foods. I have discovered on my own that the gluten is really bothering me.When I looked up a few web sites I have almost all the signs. I have been Dx with IBS but now I am thinking its the gluten all along. Any help is appreciated.I also have a son who is 20 with Autism/ Epilepsy and wondering if anyone has tried it for Special needs kids and how did it work for them ?

 

[disfan07]

I have to say, I've never used an websites or any books or anything like that when I had to go guten free. I found going gluten free to be the easiest thing I've had to do. I'm BP it ony gluten free but also allergic to:
Eggs, Peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, oats, coconut, sesame, sunflower seeds, soy protein, raw fruits, raw vegetables, ginger

Going gluten free really means cutting out a lot of processed foods. It means cooking more from scratch. Fruits, veggies, meats, gluten free pasta, rice, nuts, beans, etc.

Being gluten free is so common these days and has become a "fad" for people trying to lose weight (I am NOT saying TS not medically necessary for some people...just speaking the truth that it is also a diet fad) that there are so many bread, and pasta and dessert alternatives that you should have no problem finding things you like.
yes it can be a difficult transition but I personally did not find it that bad.

Good luck!

 

[mistysue]

I agree with gluten free being a general trend right now its been really easy to cut out. Grocery stores now have gluten free aisles and even items in regular aisles will even be labeled gluten free. Suddenly everybody is gluten intolerant. I would be careful about getting your hopes up too much about your son. Like any health trend right now gluten free is getting passed off as a sort if miracle cure for everything. It's like acai, atkins, south beach... all of which were supposed to be the end all cure for everything. There are people for whom gluten causes a lot of issues but it is not a universal answer.

 

[disfan07]

I agree with gluten free being a general trend right now its been really easy to cut out. Grocery stores now have gluten free aisles and even items in regular aisles will even be labeled gluten free. Suddenly everybody is gluten intolerant. I would be careful about getting your hopes up too much about your son. Like any health trend right now gluten free is getting passed off as a sort if miracle cure for everything. It's like acai, atkins, south beach... all of which were supposed to be the end all cure for everything. There are people for whom gluten causes a lot of issues but it is not a universal answer.

I agree. For me, it did nothing but stop me from having allergic reactions to wheat (that's why I'm gluten free).

Otherwise it didn't help anything else. Did not help my GI problems, my eczema, my environmental allergies, my joint pain, etc.

So I just like to caution people that while yes it can HELP with some symptoms in some people, it might not work and not to get hopes up. But I personally don't believe that going gluten free is this amazing cure that a lot of people claim (unless you of course have celiac or an allergy).but that's obviously just my opinion.

 

[of2dbeach]

ok so if I toss out the idea it might help my son and stick with my orriginal plan doing it mainly for myself then that should be fine. I made my first Gluten free meal for dinner. I made Chicken breast using mayo ,salt/pepper baked.I also made Sweet Potato chips I just sliced them thin and put 2 teaspoons of olive oil and a bit of sea salt they baked with the chicken and I made brown rice instead of white rice. The kids devowered it hubby wasent as thrilled
I am not looking for a "miracle cure" I just don't want to have people asking me when my baby is due because my stomach is so bloated plus it hurts!. MY friend is 32 weeks preg and I am actually bigger in the tummy then she is ::Sighs:: I am trying this more to feel better and if other things work out then thats a plus. How did you find out what is gluten free? I am reading labels like a crazy person . I found out that Marshmellow Peeps are Gluten free !! so yeah I was happy plus there in my fridge staring at me heehee. I know I have to make changes and thats fine I already cook most all the meals and hardly ever use boxed meals. I make my own bread and pasta but I have to find diffrent flour to use. I miss my bagels but found that Udi's makes them gluten free. I will ask at Publix where they have the gluten items. And I found that I can have chips if I eat Kettle Chips which are a favorite anyways. if anyone know if they are No-Nos please tell me . I am going to go grocery shopping tommorow so any help I can get would be wonderful. Thanks to all who responded ~Tonya~

 

[primrosea]

We went gluten free as last ditch effort to help my child before medication and for us if was a life changer. I understand that everyone has different outcomes with any kind of interventions, but got specific needs it has helped tremendously.

As far as gluten free websites we do not follow any specific ones, but we have found many tasty recipes on allrecipes.com and on Pinterest. We also have all the product manufacturer websites saved to look up specific items. Kraft, Hormel and other major brands have well documented gluten free sites. Very helpful.

For us it was helpful to start clean. We ate lots of basics that we already knew: rice, potatoes, fruits, veggies, peanut butter, meat... Eventually we started to find alternatives to foods we already used like gluten free soy sauce, Mac and cheese, BBQ sauces that are safe, cereals.

Good luck! Hope it helps you feel better. And if all else fails, the Dole Whip is gluten free

 

[primrosea]

If you are looking for specific brands:

We like Udis for our bread products
San J Tamari soy sauce
Annie's Mac and cheese
Bell and Evans chicken nuggets
Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce
Heinz ketchup is clear
Ancient Harvest pasta
Schar crackers
Boars Head meats are clear
Smorables graham crackers
Ben and jerrys had a list if gluten free
Chex cereal
Careful... Not all Greek yogurt is gluten free, some has hidden barley malt

 

[mistysue]

I am not looking for a "miracle cure" I just don't want to have people asking me when my baby is due because my stomach is so bloated plus it hurts!. MY friend is 32 weeks preg and I am actually bigger in the tummy then she is ::Sighs:: I am trying this more to feel better and if other things work out then thats a plus. How did you find out what is gluten free? I am reading labels like a crazy person . I found out that Marshmellow Peeps are Gluten free !! so yeah I was happy plus there in my fridge staring at me heehee. I know I have to make changes and thats fine I already cook most all the meals and hardly ever use boxed meals. I make my own bread and pasta but I have to find diffrent flour to use. I miss my bagels but found that Udi's makes them gluten free. I will ask at Publix where they have the gluten items. And I found that I can have chips if I eat Kettle Chips which are a favorite anyways. if anyone know if they are No-Nos please tell me . I am going to go grocery shopping tommorow so any help I can get would be wonderful. Thanks to all who responded ~Tonya~

If you haven't yet, it may just help to look up gluten and learn what it is. It is the main protein found in wheat, and is in related grains... basically the "normal" bread grains because those are what makes bread so nice and fluffy. I know it's in rye, spelt and barley... I don't think it's actually in oats, but some people who are gluten free can't have oats because of cross contamination. (you can get gluten free oatmeal) I would scan labels for wheat first because it is so common and there are laws regulating it as an allergen- on food labels it will be bold or just below the ingredient list it will say "contains: wheat, soy, dairy" Certain allergens have to be either bold or listed this way.

Most items you will be able to get a one for one substitute, corn pasta, rice pasta, gluten free "bread crumbs" for baking, pretzels, bagels, cookies, pizza dough and whatever else.

Making bread is going to take some adjustment. My husband loves baking and has never gotten gluten-free right with any recipe, but uses a bob's red mill mix that makes one loaf. Rather than gluten you end up with Xanthan gum which helps, but isn't the same. We are dealing with other allergies that complicate it, but when he used to make wheat bread we even added extra gluten. If you have a Trader Joe's they usually have some good gluten free breads much less expensive than anywhere else.

 

[sug78]

A website I used a lot when we first went gluten free was adventuresofaglutenfreemom.com- she has reviews of products and some recipes. I second the recommendations for Udis bread & Annie's Mac & cheese. We use tinkyada pasta and Rudis tortillas.
Good luck- it can be frustrating sometimes at times but well worth the effort if it works for you

 

[Missy Dawn]

We visited Disney in May 2012 and I was amazed at all of the gluten free options! It takes a little longer at the walk up places, but it was always fresh and hot!
When we got in line we would immediately let someone know we wanted a gluten free menu. That gave the manager time to come out. The manager personally prepares or oversees the preparation in a separate area. We were extremely happy.

 

[of2dbeach]

I got ronzonni spagetti today and it says gluten free but on the back it says made in a factory that may contain wheat. I guess I will take it back to be on the safe side. I do feel alot better today . I couldnt find any breads though ? I shop at Publix. Not really sure what to make for my lunches now as I am used to deli meats. I know I can buy Boards head so thats an option. today I had carrott sticks and chicken left over from last night that I made. I think what will be hard is adjusting to things and reading alot of labels. Thanks again for all the help and the Manufacture list is awsome! Yeah for Udi's bagels going to have to get me some because the Rice Crispies will only cut it for so long.

 

[mistysue]

I'm not sure where you looked for the bread, but usually we don't find breads in with the bread. It will be with specialty foods, in a gluten area, in a baking area, or even in with international food. If you are in a pinch you could also try making wraps with corn tortillas, or making yourself lunchables with crackers and cut meat and cheese.
There are also a lot of corn based cereals.

 

[of2dbeach]

yeah I was on the bread aisle. I will look again when I go out tmrw to shop. Its hard to even know where to look for things then you have to read all the labels. I am sure once I get the hang of it I will be fine. All the help is amazing and wonderful!

 

[aggordon2]

Hi I am in need of help / web sites for Gluten Free foods. I have discovered on my own that the gluten is really bothering me.When I looked up a few web sites I have almost all the signs. I have been Dx with IBS but now I am thinking its the gluten all along. Any help is appreciated.I also have a son who is 20 with Autism/ Epilepsy and wondering if anyone has tried it for Special needs kids and how did it work for them ?

Hi,
My son (who is now 11) is diagnosed as PDD/NOS (on the autistic spectrum) and we have had him on the gfcf (gluten free, casein free) diet for the last 9 years. When we started the gfcf diet, it wasn't as popular as it is today. We had to actually call each and every manufacturer about whether their product was gluten free or not. The one website that we found very helpful was http://www.gfcfdiet.com. There is a lot of information there about the diet and a great list of products that are gluten free and dairy free. Now this diet has not cured him from being on the autistic spectrum, but it has helped.

When our son just turned 2 we were at our wits end. He seemed to be slipping away from us. He was not recognizing us, all he would do was stare at the wall. Even when he looked at us, it was like he was staring right through us. He was getting early intervention at the time and all of his therapists were telling us he might be autistic (he didn't have the official diagnosis yet). We could not bring our selves to admit, no less say, that he has autism. At the time his speech therapist suggested the gfcf diet, we thought she was nuts, but said what the hell. I remember the day we started it, Friday, Feb. 13, 2004. That first week was a living nightmare. It was like a drug user going cold turkey. He would be happy one moment and then he would be screaming and crying in a fetal position the next. After about a week of this something happened. His appetite came back, he started to make eye contact again and he seemed to be in a better mood overall. This diet did not reverse or cure the autism, but it definitely helped him be more receptive to learning new things. He has a long way to go, but we are confident that he will get there (whatever there means).

As you can see from my signature I have two sons (twins), the other one is developing normally, but he has real allergies to many things. Two of them being all types of dairy and all forms of eggs. So in our house we are gluten, dairy and egg free. The ironic thing is that my dw and I do not have any allergies.

I hope this helps you in your search. If you need any help let me know.

 

[mhgmom]

There is so much info in here, I don't knew where to start! My DH was diagnosed with Celiac Disease in 2001 (about a year after we were married). However, his youngest brother has been GF since he was very young and as long as I can remember. Now, my DH, both his brothers, and his mother have all been diagnosed with Celiac Disease and are GF.

Anyway, my first suggestions would be to stay on gluten and get tested for Celiac Disease. I say this because there can be other complications that come with CD that may need to be addressed, such as osteoporosis and a deficiency in certain vitamins. You have to be exposed to gluten in order to get an accurate result from a simple CD blood test.

I don't utilize websites for GF/CD info much anymore since I'm so used to this, but I used to find these helpful:

www.celiac.org
www.celiac.com
www.celiac-disease.com

 

[mhgmom]

Oh! I forgot to mention that I have a friend whose DD is autistic. They are GF and she found huge improvements since going GF. Couldn't hurt to try.

 

[BeveMom]

My son has a genetic disorder that can sometimes come with a secondary diagnosis of Autism. He doesn't have it, but he was pretty darn close to an ADHD diagnosis not long after he turned 5, so we put him on the GF diet, and it's made a world of difference. I don't know that we'll be able to avoid meds forever, but it's good for now (he's 6). Most of the good GF breads are found in the refrigerated section, but I've never seen Udi's at a regular grocery store. Getting rid of gluten was surprisingly easy.

 

[redomni]

I don't know if this will help but a lot of gluten free breads are in the frozen food sections around where I live, I can't find any gluten free bread that isn't frozen.

 

[of2dbeach]

Wow great information and glad to know I am not alone in this. I think for now I will be eating breakfast and lunch seperate because they eat at school anyways. My son does pack his lunch so I will try him on the breads and bagels and see how he does. With him being 20 It might be abit harden then if I started when he was young but if he sees Mom eat it most of the time he will at least give it a try.The kids want pizza tonight so I said ok fine we will make it but it has to be with my GF flour.They kinda looked at me like eww yuck but if I have to eat this way they can at least try it.( What dosent kill ya makes you stronger.. and healthier. ) it may sound weird but I feel clean on the inside like the just after a shower kinda clean. I can see my face has cleared up I had bad acne and excema was bad also. I guess this exsplains why I was itchy all the time. Amazing what a diet change will do for you. I am waiting for my Husband to come home he has 2 A/C calls ( we are in Fl ) and then off to Publix. I am still looking up web sites and will call manufactures on Monday to see if they have anything they can send me. My friend works at outback and she told me that most rest have GF menus and Outback's I pulled up on the computer the only thing I cant have is the Cheesie Fries (DARN) but I can have the Chocolate Thunder from down under so HAHA yeah happy dance
Keep the advice coming I love the stories as well. Its very encouraging. I think my DD10 has issues also but I didnt say anything to her because she is a drama queen.

 

[of2dbeach]

I found this web site and you can print out the manufactures also. What a great help to me . I am putting it in my coupons binder.http://www.celiac.org/images/stories/PDF/gfresources.pdf